Written Answers Wednesday 16 March 2011

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is regarding the UK Government plans to reform the Air Travel Organisers’ Licence scheme.

Keith Brown: We welcome proposed reforms to Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing which will ensure that those booking holidays abroad will benefit from a clearer and more extensive protection scheme.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints about the Scottish Ambulance Service there have been in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: Data collected on complaints about the NHS in Scotland is published annually by the Information Services Division and is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4424.html .

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ambulance staff are expected to be available to attend emergencies while on scheduled breaks.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what flexibility there is to enable ambulance staff to attend emergency calls during breaks.

Nicola Sturgeon: Under the terms of the UK Agenda for Change NHS pay modernisation programme staff, including ambulance crews, are entitled to a break during their shift and should not be disturbed during that period.

  However, in an agreement reached in partnership with their trade unions, the Scottish Ambulance Service offer frontline operational staff the opportunity to make themselves available during their scheduled break. Staff who to choose to do so receive an annual payment as well as an additional payment each time they are called upon during their break.

  It is the responsibility of the Scottish Ambulance Service to maintain operational cover and ensure continuity of service delivery to patients, while at the same time ensuring the wellbeing of staff.

Bridges

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since September 2010 on final design work for the reopening of Conon Bridge railway station.

Keith Brown: The development of a station at Conon Bridge was identified as a local/regional priority by HITRANS in their Regional Transport Strategy. Progress on the detailed design work for the station is a matter for HITRANS and its transport partners.

  The meeting held on 10 September 2010 with Stewart Stevenson focused on the funding arrangements, such as, design work and construction costs for the proposed station. We will shortly be determining the outcome of HITRANS’ request for a contribution towards the design costs for the project.

Bridges

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what further steps are needed for the reopening of Conon Bridge railway station; how the reopening process will be managed, and what the timescale is.

Keith Brown: The steps required to be undertaken to enable Conon Bridge Station to be re-opened are:

  

Network Rail Process
Timescales


Detailed Design Work
Up to 6 months


Procurement Stage
At least 6 to 9 months


Construction and Commission
Up to 12 months



  It is anticipated (subject to funding being made available) that Network Rail would take over the scheme as project manager to enable the procurement and construction work to take place.

Cancer

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the sub-group of the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group who will review the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in the cervical screening programme.

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the sub-group of the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group will report its findings on the review of the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in the cervical screening programme and when the findings will be published.

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce triage for human papilloma virus (HPV) into the cervical screening programme in order to reduce the number of women requiring repeat screening after detection of borderline abnormalities.

Shona Robison: In January 2011 the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group recommended that a sub group be established to consider HPV testing within the cervical screening programme in Scotland. The sub-group will use its expertise to consider the available evidence and will provide advice to the Scottish Government. The remit, membership and timeline for the sub-group to report will be agreed shortly.

Cancer

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) sensitivity and (b) specificity is of the cervical screening programme.

Shona Robison: The sensitivity and specificity of the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme is set out within the NHS Cancer Screening Programme Publication: Achievable standards, Benchmarks for reporting, and Criteria for evaluating cervical cytopathology which can be downloaded using the following link http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/publications/cc-02.html .

Cancer

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what costs are associated with the cervical screening programme.

Shona Robison: NHS boards currently meet the costs associated with the Scottish cervical screening programme, therefore this information is not held centrally.

  However, as part of a cervical cytology laboratory review a detailed exercise took place to identify and allocate costs to cervical laboratory services. The total estimated costs across the cervical cytology laboratories only, as of May 2010, was calculated at £5,849,159.

Child Welfare

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there has been no Scottish Government response to the report of the short-life working group on school meals and clothing grants completed in 2008.

Adam Ingram: As the legislative requirement to provide free school meals and school clothing grants rests with education authorities, it is for them to take decisions based on the report Review of identification and registration of those eligible for free school meals, and school clothing grant provision across Scotland  taking account of individual local need and budget priorities. We have noted the recommendations made in the report and are pleased that the majority of local authorities already provide the school clothing grant at a threshold at least as generous as that proposed in recommendation 7.1 of the report. We would also encourage local authorities to continue to prioritise resources to those most in need.

Civil Partnerships

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the UK Government proposal to allow civil partnerships to take place in consenting religious places, whether the law would have to be amended in Scotland to allow this and, if so, what plans the Scottish Government has to make any such amendment.

Fergus Ewing: The Civil Partnership Act 2004 would have to be amended to allow civil partnerships to be registered in religious premises in Scotland. This would require primary legislation. The issue of where people can enter into civil partnerships is devolved, and any amendment to the 2004 act in relation to this would therefore be within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.

Civil Partnerships

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings or discussions ministers had in 2010 with (a) UK Government ministers, (b) faith leaders, (c) religious organisations and (d) other groups or organisations regarding civil partnerships in religious premises.

Fergus Ewing: In 2010 Scottish Government officials met representatives of a number of religious and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisations to discuss civil partnerships in religious premises including the Quakers, the Liberal Jewish community, the Equality Network, Stonewall Scotland and the LGBT Network.

Dentistry

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many undergraduate dental students there were in each year of study at Dundee Dental School in the last academic year for which information is available.

Shona Robison: The number of undergraduate dental students in each year of study at Dundee Dental School in the last academic year for which information is available is shown in the following table:

  Current Bachelor of Dental Surgery students at University of Dundee Dental School

  

Year
Total


1
68


2
83


3
59


4
64


5
68

Dentistry

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) children and (b) adults in Tayside has access to an NHS dentist at the latest date for which information is available.

Shona Robison: As at 31 December 2010, 79.8% of children and 67.9% of adults living in Tayside were registered with an NHS dentist.

  Source: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System).

Diabetes

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Nicola Sturgeon: Efforts to tackle current obesity trends are probably the single biggest factor in reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes, given that unhealthy body weight affects over 80% of those with type 2 diabetes.

  The Scottish Government and the COSLA published Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland: A Route Map Towards Healthy Weight. in February 2010. The route map makes a long-term commitment to tackling overweight and obesity, to help achieve a healthier Scotland. Our 2010 diabetes action plan expects NHS boards to take account of the route map in their work with community health partnerships and their planning partners in developing population strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, including diabetes. Those strategies should focus on diet and increased physical activity.

  In addition, our "Keep Well" programme has meant that to date, more than 90,000 people from Scotland’s most deprived communities have received a health check covering the risk factors for type 2 diabetes, with those identified as being at risk receiving appropriate follow-up advice or treatment. We have announced plans to mainstream the "Keep Well" programme from April 2012.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths in the NHS Lothian area were (a) alcohol and (b) drug related and, of these, how many were of people aged (i) under 18, (ii) 18 to 29, (iii) 30 to 55 and (iv) over 55, in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: The total numbers of alcohol-related deaths in the NHS Lothian area, in each calendar year from 1979 to 2009, are given in table 2 of the Alcohol-related deaths section of the website of the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS), which can be found at this address: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/deaths/alcohol-related/index.html.

  The total numbers of drug-related deaths (in terms of GROS’ standard definition for these statistics) in the NHS Lothian area, in each calendar year from 1999 to 2009, are given in table HB1 of Drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2009, which was published by GROS on 17 August 2010 and can be found on the GROS website via this address: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/deaths/drug-related/index.html.

  The following tables give the numbers of alcohol- and drug-related deaths in the NHS Lothian area, for the age-groups requested, for the calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009. (GROS does not produce statistics of deaths for financial years). The equivalent figures for 2010 will become available in August 2011. GROS produced these figures by applying the same definitions as it used to prepare the tables which are referred to above.

  Alcohol-Related Deaths in the NHS Lothian Area

  

Year
17 and under
18 to 29
30 to 55
56 and over
All ages


2007
0
4
79
89
172


2008 
0
1
78
92
171


2009
0
3
54
87
144



  Source: GROS, on the basis described in the "Alcohol-related deaths" section of its website.

  Drug-Related Deaths in the NHS Lothian area

  

Year
17 and under
18 to 29
30 to 55
56 and over
All ages


2007
0
12
40
2
54


2008
0
40
45
9
94


2009
1
25
48
7
81



  Source: GROS, on the basis described in "Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2009".

Education

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the service pupil premium proposed by the UK Government will apply in Scotland.

Michael Russell: The pupil premium scheme proposed by the UK Government will not apply in Scotland.

  The distribution formula used to allocate the Scottish Government’s funding to local authorities has been developed over a number of years and is based on the relative need of each local authority, including levels of deprivation. In addition, education funding is a devolved issue thus the UK Government proposed pupil premium will not apply in Scotland.

  The method takes into account variations in the demands for services and the costs of providing them to a similar standard, and with a similar degree of efficiency.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be Barnett consequentials arising from the service pupil premium proposed by the UK Government and, if so, how much.

Michael Russell: The pupil premium scheme is being funded by reallocating existing funding provided through the CSR settlement and as such any consequentials arising from the scheme were included in the Scottish settlement. If however, any additional funding was to be provided to the Department for Education for the scheme, Scotland would be entitled to its Barnett share.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it has chosen to organise free events on rights for parents and carers under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 in Glasgow and Aberdeen only.

Adam Ingram: Two events were planned initially to test the demand for such events. The decision to hold them in Aberdeen and Glasgow was to enable parents from a wide geographical spread of population from differing authorities with good transport links. Once concluded, the events in Aberdeen and Glasgow will be evaluated and a decision taken on whether to hold further parents’ meetings in other parts of the country.

  The presentations and notes from the events will be published online and on GLOW to enable anyone interested to access the information.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to parents and carers outwith Glasgow and Aberdeen on their rights under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

Adam Ingram: Parents and carers wishing advice about their rights under the 2009 act or specific advice and information on their particular circumstances can contact Enquire, the national advice band information service via their helpline on 0845 123 2303 or their website at:

  http://enquire.org.uk/what-is-additional-support-for-learning. 

  Enquire is funded by the Scottish Government and provides a range of information, including the parents’ guide and factsheets which provide detailed advice and information on additional support for learning, including on a range of specific issues, such as transition, planning and appeal rights.

  The presentations and notes from the events in Aberdeen and Glasgow will be published online and on GLOW to enable anyone interested to access the information.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities, voluntary organisations or parents and carers in the south and east are expected to fund information events on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 themselves.

Adam Ingram: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40259 on 16 March 2011.

  There is nothing to prevent local authorities, voluntary organisations or parents and carers holding their own events on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009, should they wish.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Emergency Services

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accident and emergency units it expects will have consultant doctors available for 24 hours per day by 2015.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Scotland boards take the decisions on how to staff their accident and emergency units. Consultant support is directly available 24 hours per day, although not necessarily on site. We are aware that several boards are considering the cost-effectiveness of having consultants resident on site 24 hours per day but no decisions have yet been made.

Film Industry

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many feature films were made in Scotland in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40108 on 16 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage film production in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government provides support to the film industry in Scotland through Creative Scotland, which was formally established in July 2010. Creative Scotland distributed £3.2 million of lottery funding to encourage film production in Scotland in 2010-2011, including funding allocated prior to July 2010 by Scottish Screen. In addition to this lottery funding, Creative Scotland has film and locations offices which encourage film production in Scotland. It also provides financial support for film festivals and cinemas. 

  The public sector in Scotland provides significant training support to encourage the development of the film, broadcasting and digital media industries. For example, the Scottish Funding Council in February 2009 announced an investment of £5.8 million in the Skillset Network of Screen and Media Academies. The Scottish Government, through the Cashback for Communities scheme, funds Creative Identities - a programme of arts and moving image learning activities for young people between the ages of 10 and 19 living in Scotland. The programme is managed by Creative Scotland.

  The Scottish Government also sponsors FilmG, the Gaelic short films competition. In 2010-11 it provided support for training and sponsored the award for best film in the 12 to 17 age category.

  The Scottish Creative Industries Partnership Co-ordination Group has set up a Film Industry reference group, comprising experts involved in the industry, which recently concluded its deliberations. The Scottish Creative Industries Partnership Co-ordination Group will consider the reference group’s recommendations and respond during the summer of 2011. Scottish Enterprise commissioned last year a report into television and film production space which was published in September 2010.

  The Scottish Government has also made representations to the UK Government to safeguard future funding for Scottish film following the announcement of the abolition of the UK Film Council. I met the Director of the British Film Institute on 14 March to discuss the future role of the Institute in supporting the Scottish film industry.

  22 films were made in Scotland in 2009, and 15 films were made in Scotland in 2010.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value was of mackerel landed illegally in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005.

Richard Lochhead: The value of mackerel landed illegally in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005, is a matter that will be considered by the courts both in proceedings that are currently live and in further prosecutions that may follow over the course of the coming months. In would be inappropriate to speculate or pre-empt any determination which may be made in that context.

  Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fish were illegally landed in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005.

Richard Lochhead: No records are kept on the number of individual fish associated with any case of illegal fishing brought before the Scottish courts. However the quantity specified in such cases where the weight of fish was an integral part of the charge for which a conviction was obtained in each of the years specified (with the exception of 2002 for which figures are not available) is:-

  2003 - 16.9 tonnes

  2004 - 85.1 tonnes

  2005 - 184.5 tonnes.

  Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland-registered skippers have been prosecuted for illegally landing fish in each year from 2002.

Richard Lochhead: The term, "illegally landing fish" is a fairly general term which we have interpreted as either the landing of fish which has not been properly declared, or catches which are of themselves illegal in that the fishing vessel concerned was not authorised to catch a particular species, or the fish were juveniles which ought to have been returned to the sea. The number of masters of Scottish registered vessels prosecuted for these offences in each of the years since 2002 is:

  2002: 16

  2003: 6

  2004: 19

  2005: 16

  2006: 2

  2007: 3

  2008: 3

  2009: 9

  2010 (to date): 0.

Forth Crossing

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency liability there is for third parties affected by possible damage to the BP Forties pipeline system during construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing, for example as a result of evacuation and clean-up costs.

Keith Brown: A contingent liability exists in connection with the proposed construction of the Forth Crossing where it impacts on the existing BP Fortes oil pipeline. The contingent liability is required to cover the remote possibility that the pipeline could be damaged as a result of the construction of the new bridge. This is a potential liability to the contract not a cost, and as such does not increase the estimated cost of the project.

  Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are insurance policies or contingency liabilities in place for local residents and businesses for any damage incurred to them during construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing.

Keith Brown: Insurance will be taken out to cover damage to third parties as a result of the construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing. There are no contingent liabilities in respect of those third parties.

  Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether provision has been made for any damage to the BP Forties pipeline system after the Forth Replacement Crossing is completed and, if so, how this has been calculated and costed.

Keith Brown: The issue has been discussed in confidence by the finance committee.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend sequential therapies for the treatment of persistent non-specific low back pain.

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guideline on Early Management of Persistent Non-specific Low Back Pain (May 2009) refers to the use of sequential therapies, in the section dealing with research recommendations. It suggests that further research is needed to address the question of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of sequential therapies (manual therapy, exercise and acupuncture) compared with single interventions in people with persistent non-specific low back pain.

  Helpful information on managing back pain is included in the "Scottish Backs" pages of the NHS Inform website www.nhsinform.co.uk.

  Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will recommend the provision of complementary and alternative medicine through the Complementary and Natural Health Council for the treatment of chronic pain.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) is a non-statutory project, funded and assessed by the Department of Health in London. There is no duly appointed Scottish representative on the CNHC, and no endorsement or funding has been sought from this government.

  The government recognises that complementary or alternative medicine offer relief to some people suffering from a wide variety of conditions. It is open to NHS boards to provide these therapies, based on their assessment of the needs of their local population and in line with national guidance on treatment. Guidance on complementary and alternative medicine was issued to NHS boards in August 2005 in HDL (2005) 37, which is available at:

  http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/HDL2005_37.pdf.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average age of mothers was at the time of giving birth in each of the last two years in (a) Dundee and (b) Angus.

Shona Robison: The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) publishes statistics of the average ages of mothers, for Scotland as a whole, in Vital Events Reference Tables 3.6 and 3.15, which are available from the GROS website:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/general/ref-tables/index.html. 

  The equivalent figures for 2010 will be published in August 2011. The following table gives information which was produced using the same methodology as the published statistics.

  Live Births: Average Ages of Mothers (Years)

  

Year of Registration of Birth
Angus
Dundee


2008
29.4
27.6


2009
29.1
27.8



  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the fertility rates were per 1,000 of female population in (a) Dundee and (b) Angus in each of the last two years for which information is available, broken down by age group.

Shona Robison: Each year, General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) publishes on its web site information about the numbers of births, the female population and the fertility rates for each local authority area. The General Fertility Rate (all live births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44) for each local authority area is given in Vital Events Reference Table 3.8, the most recent version of which is available via: 

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/general/ref-tables/2009/births.html.

  A local authority’s fertility rates for individual age-groups can be calculated from its numbers of live births by the mothers’ age-groups, registered in the calendar year, as published in GROS’s Births by mother’s age, year and Council Area time-series table: 

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/births/time-series.html.

  The estimated female population by age-group, in that year, as published annually in GROS’s Mid-Year Population Estimates Table 3:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/population/estimates/mid-year/index.html. 

  The fertility rates given in the table below were calculated from the figures in those tables.

  Fertility Rates: Live Births per 1,000 Female Population, by Age-Group Of Mother

  

Local Authority
CalendarYear
Age-Group of Mother


 
 
up to 19 *
20 to 24
25 to 29
30 to 34
35 to 39
40+**


Dundee
2008
41.9
66.8
91.8
101.4
43.6
7.8


 
2009
34.1
63.6
96.6
90.2
44.7
10.0


Angus
2008
27.9
79.9
140.1
120.3
50.7
7.5


 
2009
27.0
85.6
140.5
113.8
46.7
9.5



  Notes:

  *The denominator is the female population aged 15 to 19, inclusive.

  **The denominator is the female population aged 40 to 44, inclusive.

  The latest year for which these figures are available at present is 2009. GROS will publish the mid-year population estimates for 2010 in April 2011, and the numbers of births by mother’s age for 2010 in August 2011.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to investigate the shortage of specialist facilities for children with chronic pain.

Shona Robison: We are aware that service provision is not uniform across Scotland. Following the recruitment of the new National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) will undertake a scoping exercise with NHS boards to assess the service levels in each board and how the levels relate to the agreed service model for chronic pain.

  The Chronic Pain Steering Group is considering a range of issues as part of its work programme which includes the needs of children and young people with chronic pain.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it appropriate for children over 13 with chronic pain requiring in-patient services at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children to be referred to adult pain services until such time as the new children’s hospital opens at the Southern General Hospital in 2015.

Shona Robison: Children over 13 with chronic pain referred for new admission at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow are considered on a case by case basis. Children over 13 will be admitted to paediatric services if it is clinically appropriate, however, this is a matter for clinicians to decide based on the individual needs of the child.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will provide inpatient services for children over 13 from the Highlands and Islands with chronic pain in the next four years until the new children’s hospital opens at the Southern General Hospital.

Shona Robison: The health boards in this region have procedures in place to treat children over 13 with chronic pain on a case by case basis.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how long waiting lists are for adult chronic pain services in the (a) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) Highlands and Islands area.

Nicola Sturgeon: Most pain clinics provide services to patients in an outpatient setting. Information about outpatient waiting times is collected centrally at speciality level only and does not differentiate between different types of clinics within the specialty. Consequently the information requested is not available centrally.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in view of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde promising to treat children with chronic pain up to ages 16 or 18 from 2015, whether it will be in breach of (a) patients’, (b) children’s or (c) human rights if it limits inpatient services to new chronic pain patients over 13.

Shona Robison: All health boards must comply with all relevant law when delivering services.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school pupils in the Lothians region have received hospital treatment as a result of alcohol misuse in each year since 2007-08.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of patients resident in NHS Lothian and aged between 4 and 12 years, discharged from general acute hospitals with a diagnosis of alcohol misuse, in each year between 2007-08 to 2009-10 are shown in the following table.

  Number of Patients Discharged, from General Acute Hospitals with an Alcohol-Related Diagnosis, Aged 4 to 12 Years: Resident in NHS Lothian 2007-08- 2009-10P

  

 
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10P


NHS Lothian 
7
7
*



  Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

  PProvisional.

  Note: *Indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure and to help maintain patient confidentiality.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Lothian have been directly connected with (a) alcohol- and (b) drug-related conditions in each year since 2007-08, also broken down by age of patient.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on acute occupied bed days is recorded on the SMR01 dataset. SMR01 has space for up to six diagnosis codes to be recorded, a main diagnosis and up to 5 secondary diagnoses.

  Table 1 shows the total number of bed days for patients treated in acute hospitals in NHS Lothian for alcohol related conditions, recorded in any diagnosis position for the years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. 

  Table 2 shows the total number of bed days of patients treated in acute hospitals in NHS Lothian for drug related conditions, recorded in any diagnosis position for the years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.

  Figures in both tables relate only to those individuals who are treated as inpatients or day cases in an acute hospital. They do not include individuals managed as outpatients. These figures include residents from other health boards that were treated in Lothian hospitals, but do not include Lothian residents treated in other health boards.

  Table 1: Number of Bed Days Associated with an Alcohol-Related Diagnosis1,2,3 from General Acute Hospitals4 in NHS Lothian : 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10P

  Number of Bed Days

  

Age Group
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10P


19 years and under
245
187
170


20-24 years
324
241
343


25-29 years
646
632
431


30-34 years
784
801
935


35-39 years
1,519
1,251
1,153


40-44 years
2,185
2,249
2,301


45-49 years
3,773
3,537
2,955


50-54 years
4,362
4,517
3,928


55-59 years
5,663
4,914
3,847


60 years and over
16,708
16,922
16,403


Total
36,209
35,251
32,466



  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  Discharges where an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded as primary or secondary reasons for admission to hospital.

  Diseases recorded using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10).

  Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. The recording of alcohol-related problems may vary from hospital to hospital.

  Excludes mental illness hospitals, psychiatric units and maternity hospitals. 

  Table 2: Number of Bed Days Associated with a Drug-Related Diagnosis1,2,3 from General Acute Hospitals4 in NHS Lothian5: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10P

  Number of Bed Days

  

Age Group
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10P


19 years and under
132
70
108


20-24 years
310
195
289


25-29 years
513
605
532


30-34 years
567
782
615


35-39 years
601
607
691


40-44 years
764
646
628


45-49 years
369
399
284


50-54 years
192
88
137


55-59 years
10
179
349


60 years and over
158
75
58


Total
3,616
3,646
3,691



  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  Discharges where a drug related diagnosis is recorded as primary or secondary reasons for admission to hospital.

  Diseases recorded using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10).

  Caution is necessary when interpreting these figures. The recording of drug related problems may vary from hospital to hospital.

  Excludes mental illness hospitals, psychiatric units and maternity hospitals. 

  In the answer to S3W 31943 figures were presented for drug-related bed days for patients treated in NHS Lothian. The figures presented in the previous answer included the ICD10 codes listed in this table as well as F17 (mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of tobacco). The analysis presented in the above table excludes F17 from the figures and analysis is presented on the basis of the definition of drug-related diagnosis that is used in the Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2011 publication.

  Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider using Dunbar Hospital in Thurso as a hub for telemedicine.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are no plans to consider using Dunbar Hospital in Thurso as a hub for telemedicine.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions due to assault by a sharp object there were there in 2009.

Nicola Sturgeon: There were a total of 1,606 admissions to general acute hospitals in Scotland due to assault by sharp object in the year ending 31 December 2009. Of those admissions, 1,309 were on an emergency basis with the other 297 on an elective basis.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions due to assault by a sharp object there were there in 2010.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on hospital admissions due to assault by sharp object is not yet available for the time period requested. Statistics for the 2010 calendar year will be available in June. Provisional data may be available earlier in April or May.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) acute and (b) other occupied bed days across NHSScotland were associated with assault by a sharp object in 2009.

Nicola Sturgeon: There were a total of 3,414 occupied bed days in acute hospitals in Scotland due to assault by a sharp object, for patients discharged in the year ending 31 December 2009. Of those occupied bed days, 2,190 were on an emergency basis with the other 1,224 on an elective basis.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) acute and (b) other occupied bed days across NHSScotland were associated with assault by a sharp object in 2010.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on acute occupied bed days due to assault by sharp object is not yet available for the time period requested. Statistics for the 2010 calendar year will be published in June. Provisional data may be available earlier in April or May.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many banned items were seized from individuals in hospitals in 2009, broken down by (a) item and (b) hospital.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many banned items were seized from individuals in hospitals in 2010, broken down by (a) item and (b) hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what review it has undertaken on recommendation 11 of The Mackie Report: Access to specialist neuromuscular care and social care in Scotland by the Cross Party Group on Muscular Dystrophy.

Nicola Sturgeon: The enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease, Myozyme, has been appraised by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, but was not recommended for routine use within NHS Scotland.

  In such circumstances, NHS boards have arrangements in place to consider treatment requests from individual patients. Such decisions are made on a case by case basis, exercising professional judgement on clinical need.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action NHS Tayside is taking in relation to the outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus infection.

Nicola Sturgeon: An Incident Management Team has been established and is meeting regularly to review progress; standard and contact infection prevention and control precautions have been reinforced to all staff, and surveillance screening has been introduced for all patients in the affected clinical areas.

  Health Protection Scotland have visited and are working with NHS Tayside and I am being kept fully informed of developments.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus infection there have been in each year since 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland have advised the number of infections due to Enterococcus species cannot be determined by using data derived from the laboratory reports, as it is not possible to distinguish between infections and instances which might be due to either colonisation or faecal contamination.

  In those instances where Enterococcus species have been isolated from blood samples (known as enterococcal bacteraemia), it can be deduced that this was probably a true infection. The number of reports of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal (VRE) bacteraemias due to the two commonest species of enterococci, (Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis) received each year in Scotland was as follows:

  2007 – no data available. Surveillance of VRE did not start until 2008.

  2008 – 35

  2009 – 72

  2010 – 46

  2011 – 5 (reports received to 9 March 2011).

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus infection there have been in 2010-11, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40291 on 16 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  In addition, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have advised that hospital level data on organisms is not collected centrally. For 2010-11 (up to 9 March 2011), the numbers of enterococcol bacteraemias reported for each NHS board are as follows:

  Number of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Bacteraemias Reported to HPS

  

NHS Board
 


Ayrshire and Arran
3


Borders
2


Dumfries and Galloway
0


Fife
7


Forth Valley
3


NWTC
0


Grampian
2


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
5


Highland
2


Lanarkshire
8


Lothian
18


Tayside
1


Western Isles
0



  Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38548 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 January 2011, whether it will provide an update on its meeting with the Scottish Muscle Network in February 2011.

Nicola Sturgeon: A statement setting out the Scottish Government’s response to the recommendations in the Scottish Muscle Network’s strategic review of neuromuscular services, and those in the Mackie Report, is now available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NeuromuscularConditions.

  Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has taken on the potential health hazards of a 400kV electricity transmission line being routed near households and communities since the Beauly Denny public inquiry closed.

Shona Robison: In responding to the SAGE report and following a direct request from the Scottish Government Health Directorate, our principal advisers on the health effects of radiation, the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has agreed to keep under review the possible relationship between childhood leukaemia, other causes of ill-health and exposure to elevated levels of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields in the home and/or through proximity to powerlines, and to advise the UK Government and devolved administrations accordingly.

  Since the Beauly Denny public inquiry closed, no new advice has been forthcoming from the HPA that would affect the stance of the Scottish Government on this issue.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations were cancelled by NHS Lothian (a) in 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) from 1 April to 31 December 2010, broken down by reason.

Nicola Sturgeon: The specific information is not available centrally.

  Information, although limited, is available on the number of hospital stays where operations/procedures were not carried out following admission to hospital. The number of cancelled operations or procedures by NHS Lothian in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and for the period 1 April to 30 September 2010 (the latest available data) is provided in the following table. To provide context, we have also included information on total number of hospitals stays as well as the rate of cancellation.

  It is not possible from centrally held data to identify specific reasons for the cancellations. Operations may be cancelled due to a number of reasons such as a particularly high level of emergency admissions, staff sickness, patient is unfit for treatment on admission or the patient has failed to follow pre-admission advice such as fasting before admission.

  NHSScotland: Number of Cancelled Operations/Procedures1,2, Acute Inpatient/Day Case Discharges and Rate of Cancellation

  

Date
Cancelled
Operations/Procedures
Total Number of 
Hospitals Stays
Rate of 
Cancellation


2008-09
1,684
169,872
0.5%


2009-10
1,610
166,300
0.3%


1 April to 30 September 2010
781
81,858
0.5%



  Source: ISD Scotland. Information derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Up to six diagnoses (one principal and five secondary) are recorded on SMR01 returns. All six diagnosis positions have been used to identify cancelled operations. The following International Statistical Classifications of Disease and Related Health problems 10 revision (ICD-10) code has been used to identify cancelled operations/procedures z53: person encountering health service specific procedure not carried out.

  2. Cases where an operation or procedure was cancelled prior to the patient being admitted to hospital are not included.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revised targets are for (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 for starting hepatitis C treatment.

Shona Robison: Under the Hepatitis C Phase 2 Action Plan, the revised target for 2010-11 is to have 1,000 new initiations of people onto antiviral treatment. We expect NHS boards to exceed this number of treatment initiations this year.

  No target has yet been set for treatment initiations in 2011-12.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the prevalence is of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria.

Shona Robison: The prevalence of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria is estimated to be 13 cases per million.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether eculizumab is part of the national medication reinsurance scheme in Scotland.

Shona Robison: No national medication reinsurance scheme operates in Scotland. However, NHS boards do participate in the national orphan drugs risk share scheme. Eculizumab is not included in that scheme.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the number needed to treat (NNT) value for treatment with eculizumab is one.

Shona Robison: That information is not held centrally.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the patients who contracted Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital were assessed for discharge and recorded on the delayed discharge database before they were diagnosed with the infection.

Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The information requested is not held centrally.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the patients who contracted Clostridium difficile at the Vale or Leven Hospital and were assessed for discharge and placed on the delayed discharge database before they were diagnosed with the infection died.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-43070 on 16 March 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have participated in the Life Begins at 40 pilot in 2010-11.

Shona Robison: The pilot for Life Begins at 40 ran in the NHS Grampian area from May to September 2010.

  Two hundred and thirteen of the 2,211 people invited, took part in the survey.

  Life Begins at 40 had a national launch in February 2011.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated level of demand for the Life Begins at 40 pilot was for 2010-11.

Shona Robison: The pilot for Life Begins at 40 ran in the NHS Grampian area from May to September 2010.

  The anticipated level of demand was expected to be around 10% of those invited to participate. This is in line with on-line surveys of a similar nature.

  Life Begins at 40 had a national launch in February 2011.

Higher Education Funding

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to colleges and universities regarding the provision of childcare for postgraduates.

Michael Russell: Discretionary fund guidance is issued to all colleges and universities at the beginning of each academic year. The discretionary fund guidance includes details of the funding available to all students with childcare expenses, including postgraduate students.

  A link to a copy of the current guidance can be found at:

  http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/other_funding.htm#discretionary.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in October 2010, broken down by sheriff court.

Elish Angiolini: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure in October 2010.

  The 221 charges relate to a total of 203 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,891 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measures Issued in October 2010
Charges Reported in October 2010


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
11
2
165
77


Airdrie
12
7
63
42


Alloa
-
-
32
13


Arbroath
-
2
20
19


Ayr
3
2
61
36


Banff
1
1
9
6


Campbeltown
1
-
10
7


Cupar
-
-
14
23


Dingwall
-
1
24
-


Dornoch
-
-
3
-


Dumbarton
3
-
56
33


Dumfries
4
4
18
30


Dundee
8
1
78
50


Dunfermline
3
-
50
45


Dunoon
2
-
9
4


Duns
1
-
4
2


Edinburgh
15
7
209
135


Elgin
4
1
37
15


Falkirk
5
2
89
42


Forfar
6
-
26
-


Fort William
-
1
6
3


Glasgow
28
12
429
173


Greenock
1
-
30
16


Haddington
-
4
17
28


Hamilton
1
3
77
92


Inverness
6
1
65
18


Jedburgh
1
2
6
10


Kilmarnock
9
2
115
57


Kirkcaldy
1
2
97
69


Kirkcudbright
-
-
2
4


Kirkwall
2
-
8
1


Lanark
1
-
20
8


Lerwick
-
-
5
2


Livingston
4
2
31
38


Lochmaddy
-
-
1
-


Oban
4
-
9
2


Paisley
5
3
74
49


Peebles
-
-
1
3


Perth
1
-
36
6


Peterhead
5
-
33
10


Rothesay
-
-
2
2


Selkirk
1
-
6
5


Stirling
-
-
26
17


Stonehaven
1
-
9
3


Stornoway
3
-
16
-


Stranraer
-
2
9
8


Tain
-
-
18
1


Wick
4
-
14
3


Grand Total
157
64
2,139
1,207



  Notes

  1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS) case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. Some Direct Measures may have been issued in a different month from the month when these charges were reported to COPFS - so the numbers in column 3 do not necessarily relate to the numbers in column 5.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in November 2010, broken down by sheriff court.

Elish Angiolini: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure in November 2010.

  The 193 charges relate to a total of 172 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,632 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measures issued in November 2010
Charges Reported in November 2010


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
14
4
170
81


Airdrie
7
-
42
54


Alloa
1
-
29
22


Arbroath
2
-
31
16


Ayr
2
1
55
52


Banff
-
-
11
10


Campbeltown
1
-
12
6


Cupar
2
1
12
8


Dingwall
3
1
14
4


Dornoch
1
-
3
-


Dumbarton
2
-
42
26


Dumfries
3
1
31
30


Dundee
4
-
65
68


Dunfermline
1
1
49
67


Dunoon
1
-
11
-


Duns
-
-
-
2


Edinburgh
13
8
184
150


Elgin
1
2
24
15


Falkirk
9
1
98
50


Forfar
-
-
18
16


Fort William
-
-
13
2


Glasgow
39
6
433
171


Greenock
-
-
33
27


Haddington
1
1
8
35


Hamilton
1
-
95
76


Inverness
7
2
83
10


Jedburgh
-
1
5
10


Kilmarnock
4
1
96
47


Kirkcaldy
5
-
79
46


Kirkcudbright
-
-
8
2


Kirkwall
1
-
7
2


Lanark
-
-
17
6


Lerwick
-
-
9
6


Livingston
2
1
34
33


Lochmaddy
-
-
2
-


Oban
-
-
2
6


Paisley
7
2
100
57


Peebles
1
-
1
1


Perth
1
-
47
24


Peterhead
5
-
24
9


Rothesay
-
-
10
-


Selkirk
2
2
3
10


Stirling
3
-
35
23


Stonehaven
4
1
6
3


Stornoway
1
-
15
-


Stranraer
2
1
9
5


Tain
2
-
16
-


Wick
-
-
13
5


Grand Total
155
38
2,104
1,293



  Notes:

  1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS) case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. Some Direct Measures may have been issued in a different month from the month when these charges were reported to COPFS - so the numbers in column 3 do not necessarily relate to the numbers in column 5.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in December 2010, broken down by sheriff court.

Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure in December 2010.

  The 196 charges relate to a total of 186 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,333 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measures Issued in December 2010
Charges Reported in December 2010


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
13
3
190
97


Airdrie
3
-
60
36


Alloa
1
-
29
17


Arbroath
5
-
28
40


Ayr
-
-
45
42


Banff
-
-
5
8


Campbeltown
-
-
8
-


Cupar
3
3
22
11


Dingwall
2
-
16
5


Dornoch
-
-
1
-


Dumbarton
1
-
79
18


Dumfries
5
1
34
25


Dundee
4
1
92
51


Dunfermline
5
5
53
34


Dunoon
2
-
11
2


Duns
-
1
3
8


Edinburgh
18
14
150
155


Elgin
1
3
36
22


Falkirk
6
-
110
41


Forfar
4
4
19
4


Fort William
3
-
6
5


Glasgow
2
1
468
150


Greenock
2
-
14
19


Haddington
1
-
14
20


Hamilton
3
-
94
67


Inverness
11
2
84
10


Jedburgh
-
1
9
15


Kilmarnock
5
1
100
69


Kirkcaldy
14
2
70
37


Kirkcudbright
1
1
2
7


Kirkwall
-
-
5
2


Lanark
1
-
10
6


Lerwick
-
-
5
3


Livingston
4
3
30
42


Oban
-
-
10
6


Paisley
6
6
89
72


Peebles
-
-
1
2


Perth
3
-
44
17


Peterhead
7
-
25
9


Portree
-
-
4
-


Rothesay
-
-
2
-


Selkirk
-
2
5
15


Stirling
2
1
42
15


Stonehaven
1
-
6
1


Stornoway
1
-
10
-


Stranraer
-
1
6
8


Tain
-
-
14
-


Wick
-
-
10
6


Grand Total
140
56
2,170
1,219



  Notes:

  1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS) case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. Some Direct Measures may have been issued in a different month from the month when these charges were reported to COPFS - so the numbers in column 3 do not necessarily relate to the numbers in column 5.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in January 2011, broken down by sheriff court.

Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure in January 2011.

  The 205 charges relate to a total of 182 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,204 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measures Issued in January 2011
Charges Reported in January 2011


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
17
1
162
88


Airdrie
5
1
43
44


Alloa
3
-
32
26


Arbroath
-
-
25
27


Ayr
-
-
58
29


Banff
-
-
12
4


Campbeltown
-
-
9
3


Cupar
2
-
60
18


Dingwall
-
1
11
3


Dornoch
-
-
1
-


Dumbarton
5
1
45
30


Dumfries
5
-
21
37


Dundee
5
-
82
57


Dunfermline
3
2
54
39


Dunoon
-
-
7
3


Duns
-
1
1
4


Edinburgh
15
2
217
153


Elgin
4
2
42
37


Falkirk
7
-
78
27


Forfar
2
-
19
6


Fort William
-
-
2
-


Glasgow
49
11
461
180


Greenock
-
1
34
17


Haddington
-
3
17
29


Hamilton
6
1
101
88


Inverness
7
-
105
17


Jedburgh
-
-
9
6


Kilmarnock
1
1
85
71


Kirkcaldy
4
-
66
57


Kirkcudbright
-
-
4
2


Kirkwall
3
-
7
-


Lanark
-
-
17
13


Lerwick
-
-
4
4


Livingston
3
5
65
53


Lochmaddy
-
-
3
-


Oban
-
-
9
10


Paisley
8
-
91
40


Peebles
-
-
2
1


Perth
1
-
39
14


Peterhead
8
-
35
20


Portree
-
-
3
-


Rothesay
-
-
1
1


Selkirk
-
-
12
2


Stirling
2
-
55
30


Stonehaven
4
-
8
2


Stornoway
1
-
28
-


Stranraer
1
-
10
13


Tain
1
-
16
3


Wick
-
-
5
8


Grand Total
172
33
2,273
1,316



  Notes:

  1.The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS)case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge. 

  2.Some Direct Measures may have been issued in a different month from the month when these charges were reported to COPFS - so the numbers in column 3 do not necessarily relate to the numbers in column 5.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct measures were issued for (a) assault and (b) assault to injury in February 2011, broken down by sheriff court.

Frank Mulholland: The following table shows the number of charges of (a) assault and (b) assault to injury where the initial decision taken by the Procurator Fiscal was to deal with the offending behaviour by means of a direct measure in February 2011.

  The 169 charges relate to a total of 158 persons issued with an offer of a direct measure, out of a total of 3,880 persons offered a direct measure during the same period.

  The figures include only those direct measures that were affected by the provisions in the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007.

  

Office
Direct Measures Issued in February 2011
Charges Reported in February 2011


Assault
Assault to Injury
Assault
Assault to Injury


Aberdeen
1
1
155
58


Airdrie
4
-
44
38


Alloa
1
-
28
13


Arbroath
1
1
20
6


Ayr
3
3
75
30


Banff
-
-
7
6


Campbeltown
3
-
4
-


Cupar
2
-
13
13


Dingwall
2
-
19
-


Dornoch
-
-
2
-


Dumbarton
4
1
43
28


Dumfries
2
1
15
19


Dundee
4
-
59
48


Dunfermline
5
-
65
38


Dunoon
1
-
6
1


Duns
-
1
1
2


Edinburgh
9
3
171
91


Elgin
2
2
45
15


Falkirk
4
-
95
43


Forfar
2
-
21
7


Fort William
-
-
11
3


Glasgow
35
5
482
169


Greenock
2
-
21
16


Haddington
-
-
6
18


Hamilton
5
2
99
61


Inverness
2
2
85
6


Jedburgh
-
-
7
6


Kilmarnock
4
-
84
46


Kirkcaldy
5
2
77
60


Kirkcudbright
-
-
5
4


Kirkwall
2
-
3
1


Lanark
1
-
8
14


Lerwick
-
-
4
3


Livingston
6
2
46
33


Lochmaddy
1
-
8
-


Oban
-
-
1
6


Paisley
13
2
114
72


Peebles
-
-
-
5


Perth
2
-
26
22


Peterhead
2
-
33
9


Portree
-
1
1
1


Rothesay
-
-
4
2


Selkirk
-
1
3
3


Stirling
1
-
45
13


Stonehaven
1
-
4
-


Stornoway
1
-
16
-


Stranraer
1
-
14
24


Tain
3
-
21
1


Wick
2
-
7
5


Grand Total
139
30
2,123
1,059



  Notes:

  1. The information in this table has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS) case management database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  2. Some Direct Measures may have been issued in a different month from the month when these charges were reported to COPFS - so the numbers in column 3 do not necessarily relate to the numbers in column 5.

  Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to issue an estimate of how many additional cases might be dropped as a result of the Cadder v Her Majesty’s Advocate ruling.

Frank Mulholland: Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service provided data on the number of cases that have had to be discontinued or where the Crown has been unable to commence proceedings due to there being insufficient evidence following the decision in Her Majesty’s Advocate v Cadder on 9 February 2011. The total number of cases affected was 867, significantly fewer than the Crown had anticipated due to the precautionary measures introduced by the Lord Advocate and the emergency legislation enacted by the government. The Crown is continuing to monitor cases that are affected by the decision but it is not possible to provide an estimate of how many cases may be discontinued.

Medication

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is provided to NHS boards regarding exceptional prescribing arrangements in relation to funding orphan and ultra-orphan medicines not recommended by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing national good practice guidance in relation to NHS boards management of individual patient treatment requests, previously known as "exceptional prescribing requests", for all newly licensed medicines, including orphan medicines, that have not been recommended by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

  The guidance, which aims to support local decision-making on individual patient treatment requests through a consistent approach, will be published in due course.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its assessment is of NHS board decisions on the funding of orphan and ultra-orphan medicines not recommended by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) operates independently from the Scottish Government and NHS boards are expected to follow SMC advice.

  Decisions regarding the provision of NHS services are a matter for NHS boards. Where a medicine has not been recommended for use within the NHS in Scotland by the SMC, NHS boards are not expected to make it routinely available.

  However, NHS boards have arrangements for clinically-led consideration of SMC "not recommended" medicines, including orphan medicines, for individual patients. Clinicians are responsible for clinical decisions regarding the care of individual patients.

  Recent figures provided by NHS boards following freedom of information requests indicate that overall, the majority of individual patient treatment requests are approved.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference is between the criteria used by the Scottish Medicines Consortium in making judgements on ultra-orphan as opposed to orphan medicines.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) operates independently from the Scottish Government. Details about the nature of the SMC processes are available from their website at http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of equity of access to orphan and ultra-orphan medicines between (a) NHS boards and (b) Scotland and other UK nations.

Nicola Sturgeon: Decisions regarding the introduction of new medicines are taken by each of the UK countries through their own appraisal arrangements in line with established national priorities.

  Scotland’s independent, robust and transparent arrangements for the appraisal of all newly licensed medicines focus on patients having equitable access to clinically and cost-effective medicines to treat all conditions throughout all parts of Scotland.

  Decisions regarding the provision of NHS services are matters for NHS boards and clinicians are responsible for clinical decisions regarding the care of individual patients.

  Equity of access to healthcare more generally is considered by the World Health Organization and other international organisations.

NHS Equipment

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the draft clinical standards in NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation do not refer to recommendation 3 of Moving Forward: Review of NHS Wheelchair and Seating Services in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: Draft Standard 1, Essential Criteria 1.1 states that "clinical assessments of mobility and mobility needs are person-centred and anticipatory". This corresponds with the Quality Ambitions detailed in the Healthcare Quality Strategy for NHS Scotland, and also with recommendation 3 of Moving Forward, which states that "at referral, assessment and provision, services will be led by requirements of users and carers".

NHS Finance

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) actual initial revenue allocation and (b) NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee target allocation was to NHS Tayside in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11 and is for 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: Year
Initial Allocation
£ Million
Resource Allocation
Formula Target Share
Target Allocation
£ Million


2008-09
566.4
7.83%*
555.6


2009-10
578.6
7.84%
568.2


2010-11
592.9
7.84%
583.1



  Note: * 2008-09 was a shadow year in which the new formula was tested but not implemented.

  For 2011-12, the initial baseline allocation is £596.4 million. The formula target share will be published on 29 March 2011.

  In terms of NHS boards moving towards NRAC funding parity, we are not reducing any individual board’s funding.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-37843 and S3W-37844 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 December 2010, what funding is being provided to the 14 NHS boards to (a) create new chronic pain clinics and (b) improve existing clinics and to what extent boards have been expected to finance improvements from existing budgets.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards are funded to provide services such as chronic pain clinics that are required by their resident populations.

  In the longer term, the issue of the range and pattern of pain management services in Scotland will be determined by the further work that is needed to take forward the service model being developed by our lead clinician for chronic pain. Once the new lead clinician is in post, he or she will work with NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to undertake a scoping exercise with NHS boards. That will assess the level of services available in each area, and compare how these relate to the agreed service model.

  We have in addition been advocating a managed clinical network (MCN) approach to the development of chronic pain services. We see the existing Network in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as setting an example for other boards to follow. We provided a small amount of pump priming for the MCN and would be prepared to adopt a similar approach with other NHS boards. It is one of the core principles of all MCN developments that they should explore their potential to generate better value for money.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) revenue and (b) capital allocation is for each NHS board for 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39569 on 11 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital allocation is for the health budget in 2011-12.

Nicola Sturgeon: The net capital budget for health in 2011-12 is £488 million. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39569 on 11 February 2011 which provides details of initial resources, including capital, being made available to NHS boards and Special Health Boards in 2011-12.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

NHS Staff

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings could be made if sickness absence were reduced in all NHS boards to the (a) average and (b) lowest quartile of all boards.

Nicola Sturgeon: The potential savings which could be made if sickness absence were reduced in all NHS Boards to (a) the average, and (b) the lowest quartile of all Boards, are detailed in the following table (based on absence rates within NHSScotland for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010).

  

 
Potential Savings if Sickness Absence was NHS Scotland Sickness Absence Rate3, 4
Potential Savings if Sickness Absence was Lower Quartile Rate 5


Total
£6,410,477
£22,684,618



  The following table shows the NHSScotland Workforce reduction in sickness absence rates and the financial savings generated for the years 2005-06 to 2009-10.

  

Years
2005-06 to
2006-07
2006-07 to
2007-08
2007-08 to
2008-09
2008-09 to 2009-10


% Change in NHSScotland Sickness Absence Rate6
0.32%
-0.26%
-0.34%
-0.20%


Savings generated7
£13,814,182
£12,102,882
£16,595,490
£10,050,433



  Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System.

  Notes: 

  Potential savings do not include extra costs or losses in efficiency incurred by boards to cover absences (e.g. Bank, Agency and Locum costs).

  Potential Savings are calculated as follows:

  (Actual Sickness Absence Rate * Total Paybill Cost) - (Comparative Sickness Absence Rate * Total Paybill Cost). 

  Total Paybill Cost includes total pay plus employer contributions which, for NHSScotland for 2009-2010 (for permanent, fixed term and fixed/temporary contract types) was £5,125,491,302.

  The NHSScotland Sickness Absence Rate is the total working hours lost divided by the total contracted hours.

  The NHSScotland Sickness Absence Rate of 4.75% has been used to calculate potential savings in this scenario.

  The Lower Quartile Sickness Absence Rate (4.33%) is the median of the lower half of NHS board’s sickness absence rates.

  This is calculated as the difference between one financial year’s sickness absence rate and the previous financial year’s sickness absence rate. This is shown as a positive for an increase in the sickness absence rate and a negative for a decrease in the sickness absence rate.

  Savings generated is calculated as: Total Paybill Cost * Percentage Change in sickness absence rate. A loss is shown in brackets.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in resolving Agenda for Change cases involving pharmacists in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is for NHS boards to implement Agenda for Change in partnership between management and staff side locally. However, the Scottish Government monitors progress closely and has put the blocked matching process in place to ensure that any disputes which cannot be resolved locally can be addressed through an independent national partnership process. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have accessed this process for a number of reviews, including for some pharmacy posts. I understand good progress is being made in resolving these and that it is hoped letters confirming the outcome of outstanding reviews will be issued by the end of March 2011.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many unresolved Agenda for Change cases involving pharmacists there are in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Nicola Sturgeon: I understand from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that there are a total of 44 review submissions relating to pharmacy posts for which there has not yet been a final outcome.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a deadline for resolving Agenda for Change cases involving pharmacists in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has not set a deadline for resolving outstanding reviews in Greater Glasgow and Clyde as it is important that the staff/management partnership processes put in place to resolve local disputes are allowed to run their course. However, we continue to work closely with the board to monitor progress and I understand it is hoped that letters confirming the outcome of outstanding reviews will be issued by the end of March 2011.

  Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to resolve Agenda for Change cases involving pharmacists in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is for NHS boards to implement Agenda for Change in partnership between management and staff side locally. However, the Scottish Government monitors progress closely and has put the Blocked Matching process in place to ensure that any disputes which cannot be resolved locally can be addressed through an independent national partnership process. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have accessed this process for a number of reviews, including for some pharmacy posts. I understand good progress is being made in resolving these and that it is hoped letters confirming the outcome of outstanding reviews will be issued by the end of March 2011.

National Health Service

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object between 1 April 2010 and 31 January 2011, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on acute occupied bed days due to assault by sharp object is not yet available for the time period requested. Statistics for the 2010-11 financial year will be published in September. Provisional data may be available earlier in the summer.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each NHS board spends on hospital food per patient per day.

Ms Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally, however Scottish Health Service Costs publishes information on catering costs per patient consumer week:

  

NHS Board
Catering Expenditure
Number of Patient Consumer Weeks
Cost per Patient Consumer Week


£000
 
£


NHS Ayrshire and Arran 
6,399
73,212
87.4


NHS Borders 
1,719
23,455
73.3


NHS Dumfries and Galloway 
2,420
28,142
86.0


NHS Fife 
4,629
62,961
73.5


NHS Forth Valley 
3,843
50,261
76.5


NHS Grampian 
8,057
104,143
77.4


NHS Greater Glasgow 
21,222
299,152
70.9


NHS Highland 
5,172
55,664
92.9


NHS Lanarkshire 
6,664
98,713
67.5


NHS Lothian 
13,280
165,990
80.0


NHS Orkney 
360
2,485
145.0


NHS Shetland 
495
3,016
164.1


NHS Tayside 
7,549
98,258
76.8


NHS Western Isles 
812
6,630
122.5


Total
82,619
1,072,082
77.1



  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what companies supply pre-cooked or fresh food to the NHS and what the value is of each contract, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is improving nutritional standards in the NHS.

Nicola Sturgeon: A comprehensive programme for improving nutritional care in hospitals, including the quality of meals, was established in 2008 backed by £1.5 million to support the implementation of the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Clinical Standards for Food, Fluid and Nutrition in Hospitals. The programme includes:

  The publication of Food in Hospitals – A National Catering and Nutrition Specification for Food and Fluid in Scottish Hospitals.

  Development of a monitoring tool to be used by NHS boards to ensure

  compliance with the Specification, incorporating the patient experience.

  Publication of a Practice Development Programme and Toolkit. 

  Development of an Educational Framework, a web-based resource. 

  Funding of Nutrition Champions in each NHS board

  Software which provides a database of standard recipes which have been nutritionally analysed.

  In recognition of the importance of nutrition for in particular, vulnerable patients, senior charge nurses play a key role in ensuring these patients, who may need assistance with eating and drinking, are given care and support to improve and maintain their nutrition where appropriate. Protected meal times ensure that patients are not interrupted unnecessarily and also allow nursing staff more time to spend with patients who need assistance to eat and drink. This work links directly with the development of Clinical Quality Indicators one of which is for food, fluid and nutrition, currently being implemented across NHS Scotland.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much in capital allocations under the latest tranche of the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme has been awarded to projects in the NHS Tayside area in each year.

Nicola Sturgeon: The last tranche of Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme (PCCPMP) funding for health boards has run over two years 2009-11. NHS Tayside had four projects approved which included Kingspark School (£1.8 million), Decontamination Units (£0.9 million), community pharmacy (£0.1 million) and a £1.5 million contribution towards the cost of a new dental facility in a priority area. In the case of the latter, NHS Tayside have advised that after extensive consultation with the local dental practice concerned in Kirriemuir, NHS funding has been declined. In the light of this decision, the board are looking at alternative options.

  Direct funding of projects under PCCPMP ceased in 2010-11. New schemes for primary care and dental facilities will be eligible for inclusion through the hub initiative. NHS Tayside is continuing to identify opportunities for improving the primary care infrastructure in Tayside.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the NHS will become a living wage employer.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2011-12 announced the introduction of a Scottish living wage currently set at £7.15 per hour. As pay for NHS staff in Scotland is aligned to the policy, the Scottish living wage will be implemented in NHSScotland from 1 April 2011.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the performance of NHS24.

Nicola Sturgeon: The performance of NHS 24 is measured continuously and in a range of ways.

  The Scottish Government agrees annually a local delivery plan (LDP) with NHS 24. This sets out the key performance targets for that year and performance against these is reported externally, for example within the published NHS 24 board papers. Where they apply to NHS 24, the LDP includes national NHS HEAT targets. These LDP targets are not the only indictors of the performance of NHS 24, they also report publically on a range of service indicators. These can be found within the published NHS 24 board papers. The NHS 24 LDP for 2010/11 and can be found at: 

  http://www.nhs24.com/content/default.asp?page=s21_57.

  As with all NHS boards, NHS 24 is subject to a public annual review, which includes the publication of a self assessment document. NHS 24 also publish an annual report and accounts. All of these documents can be found on their website. 

  Finally, ministers and officials across the Health Directorates and wider Scottish Government are in regular contact with NHS 24 on a range of strategic, policy and service matters and the Scottish Government receives frequent management reporting information from NHS 24 about a range of services.

  Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will maximise receipts for the sale of surplus NHS land and buildings.

Nicola Sturgeon: Although held in the name of Scottish Ministers, the day-to-day management of NHS property is a matter devolved to individual NHS boards to undertake following well established guidance and mandatory procedures as directed by the NHSScotland Property Transactions Handbook.

  It is essential that management of transactions is based upon best commercial practice informed by public accountability requirements and that property is bought, sold and leased at a price and on other conditions which are best obtainable for the public interest at that time.

Nursing and Midwifery

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of training a student nurse.

Nicola Sturgeon: The average cost of training a nurse is £40,729, over the course of the 3 year pre-registration programme. 

  This figure comprises the unit cost of teaching provided to Higher Education Institutions and the cost of the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary.

Parliamentary Questions

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S3W-38732, which received a holding reply on 25 January 2011.

John Swinney: This question was answered on 17 February 2011.

Pharmacies

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to roll out the Pharmore project of walk-in services being piloted at five Boots pharmacies.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation has been carried out regarding the benefits of the Pharmore project.

Shona Robison: Each of the eight pilot sites involved in the Pharmore Pilot Programme have been subject to ongoing local monitoring and evaluation since the programme launch in September 2008.

  Feedback from local project teams indicate that the Pharmore programme has helped to open up access to a range primary care services, as well as complementing existing local services, further establishing community pharmacy as a pivotal part of the wider primary care team.

  A full evaluation of the Pharmore Pilot Programme will be commissioned which will inform the future design of community pharmacy based walk-in services and the extent to which they should be rolled out.

Public Bodies

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the functions are of Waterwatch Scotland and what organisations will handle them when Waterwatch is closed.

John Swinney: Waterwatch Scotland is the operating name of the Water Customer Consultation Panels and the convener of those panels. The functions are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 and can be summarised as representing the views and interest of water customers and investigating any complaint from those customers. The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, on commencement of the relevant sections, dissolves Waterwatch and transfers the representative and complaints-handling functions to the National Consumer Council (whose operating name is Consumer Focus) and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman respectively.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations were held with the (a) board and (b) management of Waterwatch Scotland regarding the proposed consumer forum to replace its function of consulting consumers.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has not proposed a consumer forum to replace Waterwatch Scotland’s representative function.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the independence of collating consumer advice will be ensured if the bodies requested to create the alternative body to Waterwatch Scotland are Scottish Water, the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland and Consumer Focus Scotland.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has not requested Scottish Water, the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland and Consumer Focus Scotland to create an alternative body to Waterwatch Scotland. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40409 on 16 March 2011 which sets out the statutory position with regards to the functions of Waterwatch Scotland.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of Waterwatch Scotland as audited was in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 and what the estimated costs are for 2010-11.

John Swinney: The costs in 2008-09 and 2009-10 of Waterwatch Scotland are set out in its annual report which is laid in the Parliament annually and is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The budgeted costs of Waterwatch Scotland for 2010-11 are set out in its corporate plan which can be found at http://www.waterwatchscotland.org/publications/waterwatch-scotland-corporate-plan-2010-11/.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budgeted costs are for the functions of Waterwatch Scotland to be dispersed to (a) the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, (b) Consumer Focus Scotland, (c) the proposed new consumer forum and for other functions or duties not yet allocated.

John Swinney: The budgeted costs for Waterwatch Scotland’s representative and complaints-handling functions that transfer to the National Consumer Council (whose operating name is Consumer Focus) and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman respectively under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 were set out in the supplementary Financial Memorandum (at paragraphs 6 to 28) for that act, which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/26-PubSerRef/index.htm.

  The Scottish Government has not proposed a consumer forum to replace any of Waterwatch Scotland’s functions I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-40409 on 16 March 2011 which sets out the statutory position with regards to the functions of Waterwatch Scotland.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: 

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reduction in complaints about Scottish Water and other water companies there has been in each year since the establishment of Waterwatch Scotland.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of satisfaction of consumers consulting Waterwatch Scotland has been in each year since it was established.

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs were created in Clackmannanshire by the establishment of Waterwatch Scotland.

John Swinney: This information is not held centrally and I have asked the Chief Officer of Waterwatch to reply to the member.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what instructions it has issued to the board and management of Waterwatch Scotland regarding reductions in either staff or functions since the coming into force of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

John Swinney: No instruction has been issued to Waterwatch Scotland regarding reductions in staff or functions since the coming into force of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.

Renewable Energy

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental survey work is carried out before a decision is made on granting consent for an offshore renewable energy development.

Richard Lochhead: Any development likely to have a significant effect on the marine environment must be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as required by The Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000. A range of EIA studies are undertaken by the developer to identify the current status of the marine environment. This considers the potential impacts related to a proposed development as well as the proposed mitigation and any residual effects. Environmental concerns identified include: benthic ecology, marine mammals, fish and shellfish, seabirds, water and sediment quality, terrestrial and intertidal ecology, landscape, seascape and noise.

Schools

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary school pupils have been sent home as a result of alcohol misuse in each local authority area in each year since 2007-08.

Michael Russell: Nationally, the number of primary school pupils recorded as being excluded from school as a result of alcohol misuse in each year since 2007-08 is as follows

  

2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


8
8
5 or fewer



  Figures are presented nationally to reduce the risk of individuals being identified through the publication of these statistics. In the vast majority of local authorities, there were no primary school pupils recorded as being excluded as a result of alcohol misuse.

  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils in the Lothians region have been suspended for alcohol-related issues in each local authority area in each year since 2007-08.

Michael Russell: The number of pupils suspended (temporarily excluded) for incidents of substance misuse (alcohol) in each local authority in the Lothians region, in each year since 2007-08, is:

  

 
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


East Lothian
5 or less
0
5 or less


Edinburgh, City of
5 or less
0
5 or less


Midlothian
9
6
5 or less


West Lothian
5 or less
0
5 or less



  Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils in the Lothians region have been suspended for drug-related issues in each local authority area in each year since 2007-08.

Michael Russell: The number of pupils suspended (temporarily excluded) for incidents of substance misuse (not alcohol) in each local authority in the Lothians region, in each year since 2007-08, is:

  

 
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


East Lothian
8
5 or less
5 or less


Edinburgh, City of
7
18
26


Midlothian
0
5 or less
5 or less


West Lothian
13
19
7

Scottish Government Departments

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the running cost was for each of its directorates in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10 and has been in 2010-11.

John Swinney: The figures provided in the following table are for delegated running costs for which Directors General (DG) have responsibility, and exclude capital and running costs associated with IT, buildings and other corporately-managed activities. For comparative purposes, figures have been shown in cash and real terms. However it is not possible to make meaningful year on year comparisons of spending in individual DG commands because of changes to the structure of business areas, changes to DG responsibilities, and movements of some functions into and out of the Scottish Government core. However, comparisons can be made between annual totals. These show declining spend in real terms in each of the years in question, with the biggest reduction in the final year.

  

 
2007-08
2007-08


Directors General
Outturn
Outturn


 
Cash Terms
Real Terms at 2010-11 prices


 
£000
£000


Economy
39,565
42,616


Education
28,634
30,842


Environment
43,157
46,485


Health
18,915
20,374


Justice and Communities
28,132
30,302


Perm Sec Directorates
37,219
40,089


Total
195,622
210,709



  

 
2008-09
2008-09


Directors General
Outturn
Outturn


 
Cash Terms
Real Terms at 2010-11 prices


 
£000
£000


Economy
25,456
26,681


Education
27,771
29,108


Environment
18,079
h18,949


Finance and Corporate Services
56,918
59,657


Health
24,923
26,122


Justice and Communities
36,822
38,594


Strategy and Ministerial Support
7,816
8,192


Total
197,785
207,304



  

 
2009-10
2009-10


Directors General
Outturn
Outturn


 
Cash Terms
Real Term sat 2010-11 prices


 
£000
£000


Economy
22,020
22,703 


Education
25,603
26,397 


Health
25,887
26,689 


Justice and Cummunities
41,474
42,760 


Rural Affairs, Environment and Services
62,339
64,272 


Permanent Secretary
23,285
24,007 


Total
200,608
206,827 



  

 
2010-11
2010-11


Directors General
Budget
Budget


 
Cash Terms
Real Terms at 2010-11 prices


 
£000
£000


Enterprise and Environment
23,644
23,644


Finance 
21,576
21,576


Governance and Communities
98,986
98,986


Health and Social Care
27,944
27,944


Learning and Justice
25,146
25,146


Total
197,296
197,296

Scottish Government Events

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it served foie gras at official engagements in 2010 and, if so, (a) at what engagements and (b) on what dates.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government has not served foie gras at any of its official engagements in 2010.

Scottish Government Funding

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the decision to withdraw funding for the (a) UKRC and (b) Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues around equality in science, including their withdrawal of funding to the UKRC and the impact this will have on the Scottish Resource Centre (SRC).

  We have also highlighted the work the SRC do, most recently in our contribution to the UK participation at the 55 meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

  Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology and its work on tackling occupational segregation.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is very concerned at the potential loss of the delivery services provided by the Scottish Resource Centre. We are in regular contact with them and we are continuing to explore every avenue to help secure future funding.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was invested in (a) colleges and (b) universities in (i) Edinburgh and (ii) the Lothians region in each of the last five years and what the annual change was expressed in real terms.

Michael Russell: The following tables show the funding allocated to higher education institutions (HEIs) and colleges in Scotland between 2004-05 and 2008-09, along with equivalent amounts at 2004-05 values (adjusted using HM Treasury GDP deflators) and the annual change of 2004-05 equivalent values.

  Table 1. Funding Invested in Scottish HEIs in Edinburgh and the Lothians (£000): 2004-05 to 2009-10

  

 
Academic Year


Institution
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09


Edinburgh College of Art
8,240
8,821
9,895
9,945
9,541


Edinburgh University
134,006
148,693
162,865
176,905
183,524


Heriot-Watt University
33,926
35,554
39,082
41,258
42,672


Edinburgh Napier University
38,586
40,390
45,830
56,570
54,753


Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
14,297
13,470
13,674
14,184
16,129


total
229,055
246,928
271,346
298,862
306,619


2004-05 value
229,055
242,526
257,853
276,091
275,632


annual change in real terms
-
5.9%
6.3%
7.1%
-0.2%



  Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  2004-05 value calculated using HM Treasury GDP deflators December 2010 update.

  Table 2. Funding Invested in Scotland’s Colleges in Edinburgh and the Lothians (£000s): 2004-05 to 2009-10

  

 
Academic Year


College/Region
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09


Edinburgh colleges
 
 
 
 
 


Edinburgh’s Telford College
29,924
27,045
35,495
36,935
37,906


Jewel and Esk College
14,127
15,264
24,900
39,096
21,028


Stevenson College
19,938
22,283
30,589
28,264
29,572


Lothian colleges
 
 
 
 
 


Newbattle Abbey College
328
345
361
371
383


Oatridge College
3,279
5,139
6,432
4,263
4,636


West Lothian College
12,737
13,153
44,193
14,193
14,732


Total
80,332
83,229
141,970
123,122
108,258


2004-05 value
80,332
81,746
134,911
113,741
97,317


annual change in real terms
-
1.8%
65.0%
-15.7%
-14.4%



  Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

  2004-05 value calculated using HM Treasury GDP deflators December 2010 update.

  Figures from 2006-07 to 2009-10 are made up of gross resources, notional fees, fee waiver (initial allocation), bursary allocation and capital grants, while the figures for 2005-06 are partly made up of grant in aid instead of gross resources.

  Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding for bursaries has been allocated to (a) colleges and (b) universities in (i) Edinburgh and (ii) the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by institution.

Michael Russell: Funding for bursaries for full-time higher education (HE) students in Scotland is allocated through the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Table 1 shows the amount (in pounds sterling) paid as bursaries to HE students in Edinburgh and Lothian regions from 2005-06 to 2009-10 by SAAS. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) allocates funding for bursaries for full-time further education (FE) students studying at Scottish colleges to the institutions who then decide how this money will be allocated. Table 2 shows how much funding was allocated to Scottish colleges for FE students in each year from 2005-06 to 2009-10.

  Table 1. Total bursary payments to students studying in Edinburgh and Lothians, 2005-06 to 2009-10 (£)

  

Edinburgh HEIs
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Queen Margaret University
767,819
800,871
849,905
841,593
884,398


Edinburgh College of Art
346,226
350,422
335,669
301,732
301,885


Edinburgh University
3,308,770
3,381,058
3,442,589
3,267,326
3,494,054


Napier University
2,844,350
2,981,877
3,067,710
3,174,760
3,275,309


Heriot-Watt University
2,033,102
2,028,946
2,056,968
2,016,075
2,323,622


Edinburgh Colleges
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Edinburgh’s Telford College
763,690
848,894
752,821
714,917
844,167


Stevenson College
467,640
431,289
426,997
442,837
498,981


Lothians Colleges
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Oatridge Agricultural College
125,282
105,603
94,635
83,337
93,686


West Lothian College
249,024
287,451
279,976
200,969
299,342


Jewel and Esk Valley College
475,981
422,118
495,880
440,538
479,700



  Source: Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

  Notes:

  1. Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) includes students from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr. It was not possible to separate the students who are at the different campuses, therefore SAC has not been included as an Edinburgh institution. 

  2. SAAS provide financial support for higher education (HE) students. This encompasses students on courses at HNC and HND levels and degree and post graduate course levels. 

  3. The data in this table only includes mainstream students funded by SAAS. Students on pre-registration nursing or midwifery courses are funded through the NMSB scheme and are not included in these figures.

  4. The bursary included in the total figures is Young Students’ Bursary. This is the only bursary that Scottish students studying in Scotland were eligible for between 2005-06 and 2009-10. 

  Table 2. Total bursary funding to colleges studying in Edinburgh and Lothians, 2005-06 to 2009-10 (£)

  

Edinburgh Colleges
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Edinburgh’s Telford College
2,441,659
2,746,050
2,687,411
2,961,324
3,552,944


Stevenson College
1,864,943
2,097,509
2,164,474
2,638,576
2,911,232


Lothians HEIs
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Oatridge Agricultural College
356,698
414,281
413,188
512,470
572,242


West Lothian College
977,562
1,079,000
1,139,508
1,231,406
1,302,431


Jewel and Esk Valley College
1,043,917
1,389,652
1,165,197
1,450,441
1,773,488



  Source: Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

Scottish Government Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are employed by its health directorate, broken down by pay scale.

John Swinney: The following table lists the number of civil servants employed within the Health and Social Care DG area:

  

Pay Range
Number of Permanent
Staff Employed
Number of Fixed Term
Appointment Staff Employed


A3
96
0


A4
21
0


B1
69
0


B2
124
0


B3
91
1


BFS
6
0


C1
59
1


C2
52
1


C3
6
1


SCS
29
0


Total
553
4



  Notes:

  Data correct as at 28 February 2011. Inward secondees are not included.

  Directorates included are:

  Directorate for Chief Medical Officer, Public Health and Sport;

  Directorate for Chief Nursing Officer, Patients, Public and Health Professions;

  Directorate for Children and Families;

  Directorate for Health and Healthcare Improvement;

  Directorate for Health and Social Care Integration;

  Directorate for Health Delivery;

  Directorate for Health Finance and Information;

  Directorate for Health Workforce, and

  DG and Support Team.

Sport

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to curling rinks to help ensure their availability.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has provided over £1 million through sportscotland’s sports facilities fund to support the development of curling and the upgrading of ice sport facilities. Since 2007-08, this investment has delivered upgraded facilities in Dumfries and Galloway; North Ayrshire; South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.

  Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the location is of each rink available for curling.

Shona Robison: A comprehensive list of ice-rinks in Scotland where curling is played can be found on the website of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, the governing body for curling in Scotland. This information can be found at: http://www.royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org/rccc/index.cfm/trycurling/ice-rink-map/.

  Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to offer support to young curlers who have to travel long distances to rinks.

Shona Robison: Funding for supported athletes is available and routed through the recognised sports governing bodies, in this instance the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, who enter into an annual investment agreement with sportscotland to support the development plan for their sport. It is for the sport’s governing body to identify talented athletes and put in place the appropriate level of support.

Student Finance

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of student debt was among graduates from (a) universities and (b) colleges in (i) Edinburgh and (ii) the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by institution.

Michael Russell: Student debt includes loans which are extended by the Student Loans Company. Student loan entitlement is assessed by Student Awards Agency Scotland and the loans are extended by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The SLC do not hold information on students that have graduated, so the figures in Table 1 have been calculated by looking at those who have who have passed their statutory repayment due date in a given year, rather than graduation. This means that these figures may include some individuals who had Student loans extended to them, but they did not graduate. 

  Table 1: Average debt among individuals that accrued student loans from studying in Universities and Colleges in Edinburgh and Lothians regions, broken down by institution, 2006-10 (£)

  

 
Statutory Repayment Due Date


 
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010


Edinburgh Institutions


Edinburgh College of Art
9,040
10,530
8,780
8,670
7,360


Edinburgh Napier University
7,600
7,470
6,790
6,760
6,620


Edinburgh School of Dental Hygiene @ Therapy
-
-
-
-
-


Edinburgh University
7,950
7,560
6,600
6,900
6,660


Free Church of Scotland College - Edinburgh
-
-
-
-
-


Heriot-Watt University
8,080
8,340
7,290
7,240
6,720


Queen Margaret University
7,620
7,440
6,700
7,050
6,780


Stevenson College - Edinburgh
3,830
3,690
3,810
3,890
3,930


Telford College - Edinburgh
4,160
4,140
4,230
4,720
4,230


Lothians Institutions


JEWEL and ESK
3,470
3,430
3,810
3,830
3,950


Oatridge Agricultural College
3,100
3,450
2,780
3,450
3,520


West Lothian College
3,330
3,540
3,160
3,430
3,710



  Source: Student Loans Company.

  Notes:

  The Statutory Repayment Due Date (SRDD) is the date when the debt is liable for repayment if the borrower earns above the earnings threshold.

  The SRDD is the April in the year after the student graduates or otherwise withdraws from their course.

  The figures include students who withdraw as well as those who graduate.

  A student is shown against an Institution if they have had debt from study there even though they may have finished at a different institution. This is a slightly different approach to the one used in the answer toquestion S3W-25130 on 21 July 2009 (SLC ref 20090624-04) which was based on the last institution attended

  The debt used in the average is the debt accrued for Income Contingent Loans, part of which may have been incurred at another institution

  Between 2007 and 2008 the liability for the Graduate Endowment ceased. Some deferred Endowments were liable for repayment after that date.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Transport

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-38040, S3W-38041, S3W-38607 and S3W-39444 by Keith Brown on 15 and 16 December 2010, 3 February and 3 March 2011 respectively, at what point the part of the iterative process for defining the timeline of the transport plan for the 2014 Ryder Cup that will involve infrastructure work at either Gleneagles or Blackford stations and associated roadworks will be (a) available for public comment, (b) concluded and (c) published.

Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-38041 and S3W-39444 answered on 16 December 2010 and 3 March 2011 respectively. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.